Pregnant Without a Man

Before I could say another word, Ethan bent down and grabbed the shattered porcelain bowl of oatmeal off the floor. He shoved the shards and oatmeal straight into my mouth."Hazel and I have struggled to survive for the past three years. Yet, you've been leeching off the Moore family, living in comfort with that child in your belly! Well, let me make sure you get your fill today!" he barked.I instantly choked, unable to speak. The sharp pieces of porcelain cut into the inside of my mouth, and blood gushed across my tongue.I raised a hand to resist, but Hazel stomped her stiletto heel down hard on my hand. Pain shot up my arm, and my hand trembled uncontrollably. I couldn't even cry out.Ethan spat in my face after stuffing every bit of that oatmeal into my mouth. He then clapped his hands and stood up.Hazel's stiletto heel shifted toward my swollen belly.Terror gripped me. I grabbed her ankle with all the strength I had, trying desperately to stop her from stepping down.J

Ethan flinched at Jeremiah's sudden roar, and he instinctively let go of the rope. Ever since he was young, he had always been afraid of his cold and intimidating uncle.But when he spotted David following behind Jeremiah, his nerves settled. He was the Moore family's only grandson, and David had always treated him like a precious gem.He ran up and threw his arms around David, deliberately wiping away two fake teardrops."Grandpa, I've missed you so much these past three years!" Ethan cried.Hazel stepped forward too. As the adopted daughter of the Moores, she naturally didn't share the same bond with David. She stood to the side and said, "Grandpa, Ethan and I both realize we were wrong. He's ready to come back and finish the wedding with Ms. Smith. We just didn't expect…"Ethan cut in with a furious tone, "We didn't expect that shameless woman to cheat on me behind my back and get pregnant with some disreputable child, trying to pass it off as a Moore! But don't worry, Grandp

Jeremiah held me and the child tightly in his arms, his eyes filled with murderous intent."Don't worry, Audrey. I'll make them pay for what they did to you and the baby. Whatever you've suffered today, I'll make them suffer a hundredfold," he promised.I held our child in my arms for a whole day and night, until I finally had no choice but to accept the unbearable truth that our baby was gone forever.After the cremation, Jeremiah and I chose the most peaceful cemetery in Beverton City for his burial.Ethan and Hazel were dragged up by bodyguards and forced to kneel before the child's grave.It had only been a day, but I barely recognized them.Their hair was matted, and their faces were swollen beyond recognition. Bloodied welts covered their arms, legs, and bodies.Jeremiah had ordered the guards to dip their whips in salt water before lashing them. Then he had them thrown into a sewage pit overnight—the stench still clung to them.He handed me an iron rod. "Audrey, do whate

If David had insisted on protecting Ethan, I would've been even more unyielding. After all, the Moore family's power now rested in Jeremiah's hands. Eventually, David would've had to back down.However, he was begging to die in Ethan's place. For a moment, I genuinely didn't know what to do.Jeremiah stepped forward and caught me just as I staggered back. His sharp gaze swept over everyone present before he snapped, "What's wrong with you all? Just standing there while Mr. Moore Senior causes a scene? Get him out of here."The bodyguards snapped into action, two of them stepping forward to lift David by the arms and guide him out.Jeremiah saw that I couldn't bring myself to act. He took the iron rod from my hand and said, "I'm the father. If anyone's going to avenge the child, it should be me. Audrey, step back. You don't need to see this."Hazel and Ethan had lost their final shield. As Jeremiah approached with the rod, their eyes filled with raw terror, and they began to tr